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Shortening Santa Monica Runway Begins Next Week

The controversial process of shortening the runway at Santa Monica Airport is set to begin. William Short/Santa Monica Airport
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Key Takeaways:

  • Santa Monica Airport began shortening its main runway from 4,973 to 3,500 feet on October 9, a project aimed at reducing jet noise by 44% and slated for completion by the end of 2017.
  • Aviation groups have filed legal objections against both the runway shortening and the underlying FAA-city agreement, with a U.S. Court of Appeals decision not expected until late 2018, after the work is completed.
  • If legal challengers prevail, Santa Monica would be required to restore the runway to its original length; the project has also drawn criticism for the city hiring a consultant at a $205,000 annual salary, labeled a waste of taxpayer money.
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Construction, or perhaps it should be called destruction efforts, aimed at reducing the usable length of Santa Monica airport’s 4,973-foot runway to 3,500 feet begin next Monday, October 9. Phase One work shuts down the airport during the overnight hours of 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. until just before Christmas. No work will be performed over the weekends.

Rob Mark

Rob Mark is an award-winning journalist, business jet pilot, flight instructor, and blogger.

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